STUDY: DOMESTIC CATS FOUND TO BE DEADLIER THAN JUNGLE CATS

Cats don’t hunt across a wide area, but are deadly in the area they man.

Household cats are more dangerous than their jungle relatives when it comes to hunting.

A global Cat Tracker study, which followed the movements of over 900 domestic cats across six countries, including New Zealand, has revealed just how deadly they are.

Dr Michelle Dickinson told Andrew Dickens that the study found that cats don’t wander very far when they step outside – staying largely within a 100 metre radius.

“The scary thing for the cat owners is that they did cross the road on average four and a half times a week.”

However, in those small areas they hunt in, the study found that on, a square area patch, domestic cats kill more than jungle cats.

“If you look at how the local wildlife populations are affected, than it’s a significant amount of wildlife being hurt and being killed,” Dickinson says.

Jungle cats also kill to eat, while domestic cats kill out of instinct since their owners are generally feeding them anyway.